Situation in Sudan volatile and deteriorating rapidly: Foreign Affairs Minister Joly

OTTAWA -

The federal government says it has deployed members of its Global Affairs Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Djibouti due to the volatile and rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada's embassy in Sudan's capital Khartoum has temporarily suspended in-person operations.

• Capital Dispatch: Sign up for in-depth political coverage of Parliament Hill

Joly says the Rapid Deployment Team can provide emergency response, co-ordination, consular assistance and logistical support.

The government says the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are also planning for contingencies but gave no further details.

On Thursday, Joly said Canada has no means of evacuating citizens from Sudan, where violence has drastically escalated between the country's army and its rival paramilitary force.

The Global Affairs Department has said it knows of roughly 1,500 Canadians registered as being in Sudan.

"The situation in Sudan is volatile and deteriorating rapidly," Joly said in a release Friday. "Canada continues to call for an end to violence and stands with the Sudanese people as they strive for peace.

"We are actively monitoring the situation in Sudan and working with neighbouring countries, as well as with like-minded governments and the international community to co-ordinate the response to this crisis."

Joly said consular services remain available to Canadians in Sudan, but due to the security situation, these could be limited.

She said officials in Ottawa are in regular contact with Canadians there, providing them with information and advice as the situation develops.

The United States and other countries anticipate the violence to escalate and have been preparing to evacuate their citizens in Sudan.

Some of the heaviest fighting has been over airports.

The Pentagon has moved a small number troops to a base in Djibouti to support an evacuation.

The U.S. joint chiefs of staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, discussed the situation with defence officials from Germany, Italy and Canada at a gathering in Germany on Friday, a U.S. official said.

One topic was ensuring that any potential evacuation efforts did not conflict. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the deliberations.

With a file from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2023.